Shadows Past
by RiderOfRohan3019
Summary: Jessi left the FBI two years ago, after her brother and niece had been brutally murdered on the same night. Now, the BAU make their way to Georgia to try to get her back after a string of murders connected to their deaths leave the elite team puzzled.
1. Chapter 1

A/N- This is my first try at Criminal Minds FF. Hope you like. And, now that I have time, I'm going to try to update my other stories as well.

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Jessi left the FBI two years ago, after her brother and niece had been brutally murdered on the same night. Now, the BAU make their way to Texas to try to get her back after a string of murders connected to their deaths leave the elite team puzzled.

Chapter 1

Jessi threw the last pile of manure into the wheel barrow. Only three more stalls to do, then she'd be done and she could ride Shadow. If it didn't storm. She pushed the wheel barrow away from the stall door and walked out to the main field where her Mustang mare stood, watching her. As Jessi approached the field gate, Shadow nickered at her and pranced toward the gate from the middle of the field. Jessi looked on in pride.

She had bought the mare at an auction four years ago for her niece, Emily. Shadow was charcoal gray, with a white crescent moon on her forehead, and a white mane and tail. Jessi had out bid killer buyers for the mare. They met at the gate and Jessi reached out and rubbed Shadow's soft muzzle. Shadow turned her head abruptly, jerking Jessi's shoulder. "Damn it, Shadow." Jessi was only 32 but, she'd gotten shot in the shoulder during her last case in the FBI, and although fully healed now, if jerked, it hurt. A lot. She turned in the direction Shadow was facing.

A black Suburban was pulling up the gravel driveway that led to the barn. "Who do you suppose this is. Shadow?" Yes, she talked to the horse. She never received an answer. Obviously. She looked on as three men stepped out of the SUV. One, she immediately recognized as Jason Gideon. The other two, she couldn't place. What did the BAU want with her? An ex-Agent who gave up on her self. "I should probably meet them half way..." Shadow looked at her as if to say,"Duh."

"Can I help you gentlemen?" Okay, it sounded lame, but all well. Better use courtesy.

Jason Gideon spoke up. "Are you Jessica Granger?"

"Jessi, please. And, yes, I am. What can I help you with?"

One of his companions, who looked like a stereotype of an FBI agent to the core, hard angles on the face and suit included, spoke next. "We have a few questions about a case we've just received from the local police in Virginia."

"Sorry, guys. Can't help you there. Seeing as how we're in Georgia." She turned and headed for the barn. She might as well finish the barn work.

"I hate it when people jump to conclusions." Jessi knew the remark hadn't been intended to be overheard, but she heard it. Turning back around, she faced the tall, handsome African-American man. He wore dark sunglasses, a gray, long-sleeved shirt, and black tactical pants. He almost looked as though he was sizing her up.

"Excuse me?"

"No one is jumping to conclusions Morgan." He only shrugged at the comment made by Gideon. "We weren't expecting you to know anything about the recent murders, Ms. Granger."

"What could I possibly help you with? And I'm not trying to be rude, but why the hell could you possibly think that I would know about any past murders that would relate to more recent ones?"

"This case carries the same MO as your brother's murder and your niece's murder."

A/N- No, the title has nothing to do with Shadow the horse. Although, she will be making periodic appearances through out...Please review!!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"What did you just say?"

"These murders, the ones that are happening now, they have the same MO as you brother's and his daughter's murders." Stereotype Guy paused for a fraction of a second. "We were hoping to not have to drag you into this, Miss Granger. But-"

"It ended up that you just couldn't put it off any longer?" Jessi interrupted. She had a feeling that she knew exactly where this conversation was heading. And she so did not not want to go there right now.

"Unfortunately, yes. We all three hate to dig up the past," He glanced quickly at the guy he'd called Derek. "But, we would appreciate if you would allow us to look at the case files. To see if these murders really are connected to those of you brother's and niece's."

"We also understand if you don't want us to," Gideon stated, with some understanding. However, the sentence hung in the air, seemingly unfinished.

Jessi didn't even think before answering. "Of course. Anything to catch their killer." She began to walk to the little two-story house that sat on the three acres of land she owned. She heard the three agents following her, their footsteps loud on the newly laid gravel. "I made copies of everything. In case anything like it ever showed up. I know that I wasn't supposed to, but at the time I only wanted to catch the bastard. The originals are at the office downtown."

"We won't hold that against you in any way."

Jessi looked over her shoulder at Gideon. "I'd appreciate it." She let a small smile creep up on her face as a response to Gideon's. "What exactly are you guys looking for?"

Derek responded, "Any connection to the," He hesitated before saying, "Victims. We just want to know if these murders have the _exact_ MO as your family's."

"Okay. And before you ask, yes, there are crime scene photos in the files. I wanted all of it. I guess it's a good thing I kept them."

"I'm sorry, but kept?" Stereotype Guy asked.

"A few weeks ago, I uh, considered giving them to my old partner to get rid of them. I began to think that I'd never have a chance to find the guy, so why not. But something held me back, and I kept them. Like I said. It's a good thing I kept them."  
Jessi opened the sliding glass door on the back of the house and gestured the three agents inside. "I'll be right back," She said, dismissing herself to retrieve the files.

"Well, Hotch, what do you think?" Derek asked.

"I think she wants to get back in the game. Just like you said, Jason."

Gideon nodded. "The only two questions we have now are, does she want to and mentally, can she?" Gideon stared out the door, watching the black and white horse run in the field. "Morgan, go check out the barn."

"Okay, but why? Do you think she'd actually hide something about the murders of her brother and his daughter?"

"No, I just want to know what kind of a person she is. It seems like she spends a lot of her time out there. On a day like this, you'd think she'd be in here, in the air conditioning. But she is outside with her horses."

Derek nodded and walked out the door, mumbling, "Yeah, but you'd also think I wouldn't wear a black long sleeved shirt either. But I did."

Jessi walked back into the room, holding a small stack of four files. She saw that Derek was missing. "Where's..."

"Derek? He wanted to check out your black horse. He really loves horses." Something in the as-of-yet unnamed agent's voice made her doubt the entire statement.

As she put the files down on the center table, she said, "Knock yourselves out. I still have to feed the horses."

Derek moved quickly into and around the barn. All of it looked so normal. As he stood looking out at the back field, he heard footsteps coming up behind him. "So you like horses?" Derek turned around at the sound of the voice. He'd get Hotch later.

"Oh, yeah. I love them. Been riding since I was eleven." Lie, lie, lie.

"Really now? You don't look like the horsey type." Jessi studied him for a minute. "How long has it been since you've ridden?"

"Since what? Oh, um... bout two years maybe."

"Right." Jessi could tell that the guy had probably never even laid eyes on a horse in person, and if he had, it was probably just a mounted search. That of which doesn't really require any skill. She could tell that he wasn't lying completely.

Derek moved around Jessi, like he was making his way out of the barn. She followed him. "So, what do you do?"

"Like Gideon said, we're agents in the Behavioral Analysis Unit."

"No. Like What do you do for your team? I thought everyone had their own special talent that they brought to the team?"

"I, uh..." He wondered briefly if he should just not tell her, but something about the tone of her voice told him that she really did want to know what everyone brought to the team and the BAU. "I can usually put myself into the Unsub's shoes, so to speak. I try to figure out how they did what they did." He paused. Jessi was paying full attention to him. "Garcia, she's our tech. She can hack into any computer system, security system, and so on. Hotch, Gideon, they keep us calm. You know, together. On our feet. Gideon, he's one of the best. He's taught us pretty much everything we know. Hotch is our team leader. He took over after- after Gideon came back from his medical leave. Sometimes," Derek smiled crookedly. "Sometimes, Hotch steps aside and let's Gideon lead. Emily, she's just Emily." Jessi blinked a few times, to keep back the tears that threatened to break through her reserve. "JJ is our press liaison. She has amazing skills. Reid, the only thing you need to know about him is that he's a damn genius. Literally. He knows a lot about, well, a lot. He'll blurt out the most random statistics in the middle of a briefing." He let out a little laugh. Jessi smiled. Then she heard hoof beats coming up the gravel drive.

She looked out towards the sound and saw a palomino mare coming up to her, a little girl on her back.

"I'm sorry, excuse me, Agent Morgan." She ran towards the horse and girl.

"I thought Emily died, along with your brother?" Derek asked, following Jessi.

Jessi came up to him, leading the horse, just as Gideon, and the man she now presumed was Hotch came out of the house, bringing with them the files she had handed them.

"She did. This is Hayley. She's my daughter."


End file.
